Bio

Athletic 280-pounder with a big wingspan, Dunlap is a naturally gifted playmaker with statistics to bear it out ... Played his fifth NFL and Bengals season in 2014 and led team in sacks (8.0) ... Also led team in tackles-for-loss (17), QB hits (27), forced fumbles (two) and combined fumbles forced-and-recovered (three) ... Led D-line in tackles (66), a personal career first, and also led D-line in passes defensed (five) ... In a subpar team year for sacks, Dunlap’s 8.0 were more than twice the number of second-place Geno Atkins (3.0) ... Finished season as the roster leader in career sacks (35.5) ... Has scored two career TDs, on a 35-yard fumble return and a 14-yard INT return ... Has 10 career forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, 24 passes defensed and two blocked FGs ... Excels not only on pass pressure, but as a downfield pursuer trailing runs and screen passes.

Athletic 280-pounder with a big wingspan, Dunlap is a naturally gifted playmaker with statistics to bear it out ... Played his fifth NFL and Bengals season in 2014 and led team in sacks (8.0) ... Also led team in tackles-for-loss (17), QB hits (27), forced fumbles (two) and combined fumbles forced-and-recovered (three) ... Led D-line in tackles (66), a personal career first, and also led D-line in passes defensed (five) ... In a subpar team year for sacks, Dunlap’s 8.0 were more than twice the number of second-place Geno Atkins (3.0) ... Finished season as the roster leader in career sacks (35.5) ... Has scored two career TDs, on a 35-yard fumble return and a 14-yard INT return ... Has 10 career forced fumbles, seven fumble recoveries, 24 passes defensed and two blocked FGs ... Excels not only on pass pressure, but as a downfield pursuer trailing runs and screen passes.

Career transactions: Selected by Cincinnati in second round of 2010 NFL Draft (54th overall) ... Signed with Bengals on 7-28-10 ... Signed contract extension with Bengals on 7-16-13.

More from 2014: Started at LDE in Games 1-16 and in Wild Card playoff ... Had three tackles (one for-loss), including a four-yard sack of Joe Flacco, on Sept. 7 at Baltimore ... 10-yard sack of Matt Ryan on Sept. 14 vs. Atlanta, and credited with four QB hits ... Led line with six tackles (one for-loss) on Sept. 21 vs. Tennessee, including a five-yard sack of Jake Locker ... Nine-yard sack of Andrew Luck on Oct. 19 at Indianapolis ... Also at Indianapolis, forced a fumble by RB Ahmad Bradshaw (recovered by Bengals), recovered a Luck fumble and had a pass defensed ... Eight-yard sack of Blake Bortles on Nov. 2 vs. Jacksonville ... On Nov. 16 at New Orleans, forced a fumble by RB Travaris Cadet in fourth quarter (recovered by Bengals), and also logged team-high four quarterback hits, a pass defensed and two tackles ... On Nov. 23 vs. Houston, led line with five tackles (two for-loss), including a five-yard sack of Ryan Mallett to force a Texans punt ... Tied for team lead with seven tackles (three for-loss) on Nov. 30 at Tampa Bay, including a shared sack of Josh McCown, and also had a third-down pass defensed ... In shutout win Dec. 14 at Cleveland, tied for team lead with six tackles (two for-loss), including a seven-yard sack of Johnny Manziel ... Led line with four tackles (one for-loss), including a five-yard sack of Peyton Manning, on Dec. 22 vs. Denver, and registered three total hits on Manning ... Two tackles and three QB hits in Wild Card playoff on 1-5-15 at Indianapolis.

Previous seasons:2010—A Pro Football Weekly all-rookie team selection, Dunlap contested Detroit DT Ndamukong Suh for the league’s rookie sacks title, posting Bengals rookie record of 9.5 and losing the crown only when Suh went to 10.0 with a zero-yard sack late in fourth quarter in Week 17 ... Dunlap eclipsed former Bengals rookie sack record of 8.5, set by DE Justin Smith in 2001 ... All of Dunlap’s sacks came in last eight games, including 8.5 in last six games ... Became first rookie to lead the team in sacks for a season since 1990, when LB James Francis led with eight ... On Nov. 14 at Indianapolis, brought down Peyton Manning for first career sack, for four-yard loss in second quarter ... His two tackles in win Dec. 19 vs. Cleveland were both sacks of Colt McCoy ... Closed season with his fourth multiple-sack game of the last six, getting 1.5 against Joe Flacco on Jan. 2 at Baltimore. 2011—His sack total dipped to 4.5, from 9.5 as a rookie, but despite missing four games he still led team in QB pressures (27) and had an impressive fumble return for a key TD ... Played in 12 games and in Wild Card playoff ... Missed Games 9 and 11-13 due to hamstring injury ... On Oct. 16 at Indianapolis, with Colts looking to erase a 20-17 Bengals lead in the fourth quarter, Dunlap scooped a Pierre Garcon fumble at the Colts 35 and ran for a game-clinching TD, displaying speed and moves rarely seen in a player his size ... On Nov. 6 at Tennessee, had two sacks of Matt Hasselbeck for 22 yards, along with a pass defensed ... Three tackles in Wild Card playoff on 1-7-12 at Houston. 2012—Began action in Game 3, after missing time in rehab from a preseason knee injury ... Had a 14-yard INT return for a TD to seal Dec. 30 win vs. Baltimore ... Named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance Dec. 2 at San Diego, when he forced fumbles on each of his two sacks, recovering one late in the game to help preserve win ... Tied for team lead in both forced fumbles (four) and fumble recoveries (three) ... His seven combined fumbles forced and recovered led the team by three ... Had 27 QB pressures (second on team) and five tackles-for-loss ... On Sept. 23 at Washington, set up a Bengals TD when he forced a fumble by Robert Griffin III and recovered it at Redskins 12 ... On Nov. 11 vs. N.Y. Giants, his six-yard sack of Eli Manning at Bengals 20 helped force Giants to settle for FG, and he also had a fumble recovery at Bengals 14 and three additional QB pressures. 2013—Played in all 16 games for first time in his career, with 15 starts at LDE ... Logged 70 tackles, with 7.5 sacks (tied for team lead) ... His 10 passes defensed led D-line ... Led team in forced fumbles (four) and QB pressures (34), and tied for second with seven tackles-for-loss ... Had eight-yard sack of Aaron Rodgers on Sept. 22 vs. Green Bay, and also logged five tackles, two passes defensed and one QB pressure ... On Sept. 29 at Cleveland, deflected 51-yard Billy Cundiff FG try in second quarter ... On Oct. 6 vs. New England, forced a LeGarrette Blount fumble (recovered by Cincinnati) ... Sacked Thad Lewis on Oct. 13 at Buffalo and forced a Lewis fumble that Bengals recovered, setting up TD drive ... Provided major momentum shift in win Oct. 20 at Detroit, blocking 34-yard David Akers FG attempt late in second quarter to prevent Lions from making a third straight unanswered score, and offense responded with a TD to erase for a 14-10 lead ... On Oct. 31 at Miami, ran down RB Lamar Miller after 41-yard gain to Bengals 11, forcing fumble that Cincinnati’s Adam Jones recovered in end zone and returned 43 yards ... On Nov. 10 at Baltimore, had a nine-yard sack of Joe Flacco, forcing a fumble that Bengals recovered, and later added an eight-yard sack of Flacco ... Tied team’s season high for QB pressures (eight) on Nov. 17 vs. Cleveland, and his five tackles included two-yard sack of Jason Campbell ... On Dec. 22 vs. Minnesota, returned a Matt Cassel fumble 42 yards to Vikings four in first quarter, setting up a TD ... Five tackles in Wild Card playoff on 1-5-14 vs. San Diego ... Missed all four preseason games due to concussion.

College: Played three seasons (2007-09) at Florida, with totals of 84 tackles, 19.5 sacks, 26 tackles for loss, eight passes defensed and four blocked kicks ... Entered NFL Draft following his junior season ... Named Defensive MVP of 2008 season BCS national championship win over Oklahoma ... Helped Gators to 13-1 records in each of his last two seasons, including 51-24 Sugar Bowl victory over University of Cincinnati to close 2009 campaign.

Personal: Hometown is North Charleston, S.C. ... Spends offseason time in Miami. Fla., as well as in North Charleston ... Attended Fort Dorchester High School, and closed his career ranked 15th on ESPN’s Top 150 recruits list ... Actively supports children in need in both South Carolina and Greater Cincinnati, through the Carlos Dunlap Foundation, with events including an annual football camp and holiday shopping trips ... Pursuing a business degree from Florida ... SEC Academic All-American in 2008 ... Selected to SEC Academic Honor Roll as a freshman ... Enjoys playing basketball and jet skiing ... Was named ‘Mayor for a Day’ in North Charleston on 3-13-09 ... Lists his parents, Diane Ross and Carlos L. Dunlap Sr., as his greatest source of inspiration.

Recent Articles

Carlos Dunlap thinks the Bengals "got a steal" in the wake of his five-year, $40 million extension and he says it is going to continue to fuel his quest to accomplish such goals as going to the Pro Bowl and winning a Super Bowl.

The last day to sign right end Michael Johnson in 2013 for the long term turned out to be the first day of left end Carlos Dunlap's long haul with the Bengals for what is believed to be a contract extension for six years and $40 million.